


Embracing My Destiny: Awakening

by CynziDragonPazza



Category: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Kingdom Hearts, Merlin (TV), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Kairi is a badass, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:12:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5811460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynziDragonPazza/pseuds/CynziDragonPazza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Axel attempts to take Kairi away, something inside her heart tells her to do more than just pull. She fights back, opening a door down a completely unexpected path. She finds out that she has much more power than she thought, and that she was right: waiting isn't good enough anymore. It's time for her to step forward and realize her wish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Path

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~! This is a Kingdom Hearts 2 rewrite where Kairi is no longer the damsel in distress, but is instead the fighter that her heart says that she is, as well as the one that she should have been. It's always been a pet peeve of mine how her character was written, so here's something that I hope will rectify that!

“Well, what took you so long, Kairi?”

The now-familiar voice sent a ripple of dread through the redhead’s mind.  _ Damn it! He shouldn’t have found me so quickly!  _ She jumped up along with the other three teens, defensively holding her arms in front of her. Though truthfully she knew that she had no chance against the strange man who came out of the darkness.

“I tell ya, Kairi, you’ve got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that.” Axel strode confidently forward, and even though Hayner and Pence tried to rush him, he seemed to glide around them. The end result was that they fell flat on their faces while Axel grabbed Kairi and started to drag her toward the portal.

“Let me go!” She pulled against his grip as hard as she could and cursed her shoes for not having more grip.  _ I’ll never find Sora like this! I can’t just wait for him to help!  _ Making a spur of the moment decision she instead pushed forward and kicked her knee up as hard as she could. Her hopes paid off in that Axel did in fact have a functioning male body, judging by the high-pitched cry of pain he let out. As soon as his grip loosened she gave him a hard shove back into the corridor of darkness and ran out of the Usual Spot, Pluto following her.

“Kairi!” Olette immediately caught up with her and grabbed her hand. “Come on, we need to head toward the train station! I’ll take a different route to throw that guy off track, okay? The fastest route to the station is through the tram common and just keep going up the hill!”

“But what about you? And where does the train take you?”

“The beach or downtown, but there’s a special train that Sora and the others took when they first showed up! I’m sure it’ll show up when you need it!” Olette hugged Kairi quickly. “Don’t worry about me, just get going!” Once Kairi and Pluto had turned the corner the brunette turned on her heel only to catch a dark corridor opening in front of her.

Axel stormed out, looking a bit injured still but more angry than anything else. “Where is she?” he demanded.

Olette stuck her tongue out while pulling down her lower eyelid. “You’ll have to catch me first!” She took off toward the hole in the wall that led to the haunted mansion, knowing that she’d have to do her best to buy Kairi enough time to catch the train.

Kairi felt like her lungs were going to explode by the time she made it to the top of the hill. Whether it be from terror or the exertion, she didn’t know, but she had to stop to catch her breath. As soon as she was able to stop nearly gagging on her own breath she hurried inside the train station only to be stopped by the ticket officer. “Hey kid! You gotta get a ticket before you can go in!”

“Oh, but--” She patted the pockets of her dress and was relieved to find her wallet, and inside the credit card her father had given her. “I thought I didn’t have this,” she said with a smile. She tried to hide how nervous she was as the man behind the counter swiped her card and handed it back to her with the ticket. “Thank you!”

“Try not to forget to buy it next time,” he groused, but he had a slight smile on his face as she ran inside. “Crazy kids…”

Kairi looked around and felt an urge to panic begin to grow. “Oh, no, what do I do, what do I do…” She clasped her hands together for a moment with a fervent prayer that help would come. As if it had been heard, a train came hissing into the station, though it was no train that she had ever seen before. It was a brilliant purple with stars decorating it, and it had a strange hat on it. “Something tells me that this is the train Sora went on…” The sight of darkness beginning to flicker into being pushed her into jumping on with her new canine companion. The last glimpse of her that Axel caught was her shoe before the door closed and the train took off.

* * *

 

Kairi all but fell down onto a seat while panting from the exertion and adrenaline.  _ Is this what Sora and Riku have been up against all this time?  _ That man...he didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt her, but she sure wasn’t going to trust him. And he knew Sora...but did that make him an enemy? Or was he some sort of ally?

The rush of emotions that hit her with the realization of what she was involved in again caused her to sniffle, and then she hid her face in her hands as she cried. It had been bad enough when she had been lost, protected inside Sora’s heart while Riku protected her lifeless body. And then when she had been made to wait for them in Traverse Town, that had been nerve wracking enough. Finding Sora, so close to bringing him home only to lose him as her own home came back, and then forgetting all about him...not to mention worrying about Riku, who was overwhelmed the last time she saw him by darkness…

Before she could completely lose it a furry head shoved itself under her arm. Looking down, she saw that Pluto was cuddling up to her on the seat as well, giving her sad eyes and cuddles. She couldn’t help but laugh and hugged him, smiling as he nestled even closer.

“I gotta try and--and pull it together,” she coughed out, rubbing at her eyes and giving her nose a wipe. Ugh, her nose felt all gross and stuffed now, and she didn’t even have any tissues. She felt better after her cry though, and she took slow, deep breaths as she tried to stem the tears. “I gotta be strong...I need to be, for them…”

Where was she, anyway? Scrubbing her eyes again she let go of Pluto and twisted around to kneel on the seat, looking out the window. The scenery said she definitely wasn’t in Twilight Town anymore. If anything it was almost like...space. But in twilight instead of the deep blue-black she used to see at home. Where she would watch the stars with her friends, her parents--

Oh god, her parents! What would they say when they realized she wasn’t coming home for a while? And she didn’t even have her cell phone, just a credit card and her school ID. But knowing her dad, he’d find out about her credit activity--which she would only use when necessary--and hopefully be relieved that she wasn’t actually kidnapped. He’d know that his little princess was safe.

“Princess...guess that nickname was right, huh Dad?” Kairi sighed and shook her head. “Those other women, they all looked so much older and wiser...even that little girl seemed to know more than she looked. How could I be a princess of heart? I can’t fight, I’m not wise, I don’t know anything about how a princess should act! Just what Mom and Dad taught me…” She turned back around and slid down in her seat, running her hands through her hair. “I don’t even know where I’m going. I just want to go home with Riku and Sora…”

Before she could succumb to despair again she took a deep slow breath and sat up straight. “I can’t just wish for it though. I may not know how to fight, or how to be a proper princess of heart, but I can learn. I have to, if I’m to find them.”

Finding her courage again, she stood up when she felt the train slow to a stop. Walking outside revealed a mysterious tower floating on the island. The train disappearing on her made her laugh nervously. “Guess I’m not going anywhere for awhile…” She turned back around and looked up at the imposing tower. “If this is where Sora went, then there must be a friend of his here!”

The stairs weren’t fun, that was for sure. The number of rooms in between the stairs gave her time to breathe at least. “Ugh, okay, I’m out of shape. I should’ve run more with Selphie instead of skipping out for art classes.” To be fair, she hadn’t expected to be almost kidnapped and transported into another world. The stairs ended after what felt like ages to her burning thighs, and when she caught her breath she knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

Cautiously she pushed open the door to walk in, seeing an elderly man in robes and a hat like that on the train with the thickest beard she had ever seen. “Excuse me, sir? My name’s Kairi, and I, well…”

The old man nodded. “Yes, I know who you are. You’re Sora’s friend, and a princess of heart. I am Yen Sid. But what brings you here? Please, sit.” He gestured to a chair, which came to life and bounced over to rest next to Kairi.

The redhead took a seat and jumped a bit when a broom with arms offered her a cup of tea. “Oh, thank you.” It was hot, and somehow had the perfect amount of sugar and milk that she liked. It worked to calm her fingers, and soon the entire story came spilling out between sips of the tea. Once the story was done she was holding the empty cup and looking into the remaining tea leaves. “Now I don’t know what to do or where to go...all I know is that they need my help.” The animated broom took her empty cup and offered her a fresh one, which she respectfully declined.

Yen Sid stroked his beard with his eyes closed in thought. “Well...you could stay here for now. The tower is protected now, thanks to the Heartless being chased out and the magic around it. The Nobodies won’t be able to chase you here, and neither will the Organization.”

“The Organization?” She leaned in eagerly. “Is that who tried to kidnap me?”

“Yes. Organization 13, a group of highly powerful Nobodies.” Yen Sid gestured and summoned the image of a Dusk. “When Heartless are created, they leave behind the body and mind. Sometimes their will is strong enough that these husks begin moving on their own. The Organization is made of Nobodies with such a strong will that they still have their old personalities. They do not have hearts anymore though, so they can’t feel. Their goal is to find a way to restore their hearts. Axel must have felt that using you would help them stop Sora. Clearly, though, you have a few surprises they didn’t expect,” he finished with a faint smile.

Kairi giggled a bit and nodded. “Yeah, I guess. I’m here now though, but I can’t just leave them. Sora especially, he’s completely hopeless without me and Riku!”

Yen Sid frowned as he folded his fingers together. “You’re a princess of heart, Kairi. I can’t let you leave to follow them in good conscience.”

“I don’t care!” she exclaimed, standing up. “Sora and Riku are my friends, and I’m done just waiting for them! It isn’t good enough anymore. I’m not just a princess, I’m Kairi, and I may not know what it means, and I may not really know how to fight either, but I’m not going to let my destiny be that of a damsel in distress! I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them, just as they’ve protected me!”

A bright light burst from her heart, blinding her momentarily. At the same time she covered her eyes, a strange weight made itself known in her hand. Before whatever it was could fall she gripped it tightly. The fading light revealed colorful flowers making up the teeth of a key, with a wave creating one handguard and a ribbon of sand making the other while both entwined around the blade. A paopu fruit cheerfully hung on a keychain from it.

Yen Sid’s eyes widened in shock and he even sat forward. “So, you can wield a Keyblade too...I didn’t think it was possible.”

“Really?” Kairi held it carefully as she familiarized herself with its weight. “Maybe it happened before I came to Destiny Islands...well, however I got this power, this means I can fight! Now, how do I find Sora?”

Yen Sid held up a hand. “Patience, my dear. I know you’re eager, but you need a little more training beforehand. And, of course, new clothes. As lovely as your dress is, it’s highly unsuitable for combat, I’m afraid.”

“My dress?” She looked down at herself and grimaced for a moment. “Good point. So, when can I begin?”

“Through that door are three good fairies,” he replied with a gesture toward one of the doors in his office. “They will help you with the clothes, and allow you to train in a pocket dimension that is temporally flexible. You may train for days in that place, yet only hours or even minutes will pass outside of it.”

She thought about it for a bit. “But Sora and Riku had no training either before they were thrown into this whole mess. Can’t I just do what they did?”

“The difference is that Sora had Donald and Goofy along on his journey to guide him. Riku did have Maleficent’s forces at first, but King Mickey has also proven to be a great asset and a good friend to him as well. You, however...well, you don’t have any companions just yet.”

Kairi looked a little downtrodden, but she understood his logic. More often than not she had been busy patching her friends up when they had their play fights. She hadn’t been a fighter. Now though it looked like she had no choice. “Alright. Thank you so much, sir.” She bowed before looking at the blade. “Um...how do I get rid of it?”

“The Keyblade is, in a way, an extension of your own heart,” Yen Sid explained. “All you have to do is will it away. It will still be present inside you, simply waiting for you to call upon it again.”

“Right.” Kairi closed her eyes and imagined that the Keyblade was hidden away inside her heart. In time the unfamiliar weight in her hand disappeared. “Sir, um...can I ask how you know Sora?”

The old wizard couldn’t help the slight quirk of the corner of his lips. “I brought him here from Twilight Town after he woke up. The King wanted him to know what was going on, just as I have explained things to you. I taught King Mickey in fact. Now, best you be on your way.”

“Okay! Thank you again!” She hurried into the door where the fairies were waiting, not noticing Yen Sid pull out a crystal ball.


	2. Dressed for the Occasion

“Oh goodness me, you’ve grown so much, dear!”

“The last time we saw you was when you were just born!”

“Lovely celebration, that was, but only fitting for a princess after all!”

“And at least this time it wasn’t interrupted by curses!”

“Now, Merriweather, let’s not worry about that. It’s in the past, after all.”

“Well, what brings you here, dear?”

Kairi felt like she had just watched a very intense three-way tennis game, with the way the three fairies had bounced back and forth with their comments. She latched onto the most important thing they had said though. “You visited me when I was born?”

Flora hummed a bit while pressing the tip of her wand to her chin in thought. “Yes, we did. But at the time, it was quite customary to visit the birth of a princess. And we had happened to be in the area.”

“Then where am I princess of?” Kairi demanded eagerly. Her hands were clenched into tight fists. “Please...I don’t know anything before I ended up in Destiny Islands. I don’t remember anything, except little flashes and pieces. Like I’m missing huge chunks of the puzzle!”

Fauna pressed a reassuring hand to Kairi’s shoulder. “Dear, we may be powerful, but memory restoration isn’t our forte. We can tell you some things, though. Like the fact your parents were good and wise rulers.”

“They governed a world that’s no longer here,” Merriweather said sadly. “Whether it’ll be restored or not is unknown. But you’ll have to find out about your past yourself. Knowing us, we’ll just mess your memory up.”

Kairi frowned and put a hand on her hip. “And I’m supposed to trust you with helping me train?”

The other two laughed while Merriweather sulked. “Just because memory spells aren’t where our skills are doesn’t mean we can’t help,” Flora said kindly. “We raised Briar Rose--I mean, Princess Aurora from infancy to when she was able to return home.”

“Oh! I remember her!” Kairi felt a little better after their reassurances. “Alright, I guess I’m in your care now.”

Fauna tapped her finger against her cheek. “But first, we do need to get you proper fighting gear. After all, your dress is so pretty, we don’t want to ruin it!”

“Pink is definitely your color, my dear,” Flora commented. “Not many people with red hair can pull it off.”

“Of course you like her dress,” Merriweather grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “But I think it needs a dash of blue to match her eyes.”

“Yes, yes, we’ll just have to wait and see. Alright girls, are we ready?” The three fairies held up their wands, and with a flick of their wrists on Flora’s count Kairi was hit with a gentle ball of light. Once it faded she looked down eagerly at her new clothes.

Immediately she noticed that her new outfit gave her more maneuverability. Rather than keeping with the dress theme, she had a pale pink turtleneck tank top. On her shoulders rested a set of pauldrons the color of creamy sand with plum-colored trim. She wasn’t sure how they stayed on, but something told her that it was magic. Purple cloth extended from pink gloves, fingerless to protect her hands and improve her grip.

Looking down she spotted a short cream skirt trimmed in purple with slits running up to her hips. Strips of cloth both purple and pink fell from either hip, something which seemed very familiar, a memory that she couldn’t quite catch. Two pockets hanging from belts rested on her hips with the same color scheme as her skirt. Underneath the skirt was a pair of lavender calf-length leggings, with dark purple stockings protecting her calves from the ribbons twined around them that kept her pink slippers in place.

Kairi laughed a bit and twirled in place to see how the outfit felt and flowed. Even though her shoes were in the style of ballet slippers, they had a good grip. “Oh wow, this feels great! I love it, thank you so much!”

“And like we did for Sora, your clothes also have a special power,” Flora said. With a wave of her wand she sent a dark pink orb toward Kairi. “Take the spell, and when you have enough power your clothes will be able to change form and give you an extra boost of strength.”

Kairi accepted the orb and shivered as the magic washed over her. “Alright, I think I’m ready to start training.”

The fairies smiled at each other. “In that case,” Fauna started, “let’s begin!”When Kairi had heard that she would be in a separate dimension, she had thought it would be something like floating in colorful space. What she hadn’t expected was a room clearly meant for training purposes. “Oh wow...so I’ll be learning how to fight in here?”

“Oh yes, but we’re not equipped for fighting,” Flora said. “We’ll be teaching you how to use your magic. Is there anything you know already?”

“Um, not really. Merlin taught me the basic Cure spell, and that’s gotten stronger, but there isn’t anyone else on the Islands who wield magic, so no one could teach me,” Kairi admitted. “And after the whole thing with everyone disappearing into darkness, and not everyone coming back, I don’t think people wanted anything to do with magic.”

“Well, that’s quite understandable,” an elderly voice suddenly croaked. Out of a portal of pale blue came a man that Kairi immediately recognized. “But I’m glad to hear your healing magic has gotten stronger, Your Highness!”

The redhead brightened upon seeing the wizard. “Master Merlin! Please, call me Kairi though,” she said with a small bow.

Merlin chuckled and nodded as he approached her. “Of course. Now, ladies, I think that’ll be all. No need to worry about teaching Miss Kairi anything, I have it handled.”

The fairies tittered a bit, but they did reluctantly leave. Kairi watched them leave with a wave, though she was pretty confused. “Why did you have them leave?”

“Oh, it just makes things easier for me.” Merlin’s voice had suddenly changed tone to one that was filled with youth, and when Kairi turned around she didn’t expect a boy her age to be standing in front of her, in simple pants and a blue shirt with a red kerchief and brown jacket. He gave her a bit of a roguish grin and a wink. “If I’m not an old man, who’s gonna take me seriously?”

Kairi gaped at Merlin and stammered for words. “Wow! I really can’t--wow! What a difference!”

“I know, no beard, but thank goodness for that. It gets so itchy!” Merlin complained as he rubbed his chin. He hummed a bit as he examined the room, running his hand through thick black hair that lacked a single speck of white. The difference was so jarring it was still hard for Kairi to fathom. “Well, since you have a good knowledge of Cure, we won’t work too much with that yet. For now, your best bet magic wise will be the Aero set of spells. Strong defenses, and you can use them offensively as well. We’ll start you with magic first and then we’ll work on your physical fighting, sound good?”

The redhead however seemed uneasy. “I thought you were a wizard. How do you know how to fight?”

Merlin chuckled and gave her a sly grin. “You pick up on a lot of things over the years, my dear. And that includes how to defend yourself without magic.” He cracked his knuckles as he stretched his arms up. “Okay, let’s start!”For the umpteenth time, Kairi fell back again and yelped in pain. Her butt was going to be so bruised, as well as the rest of her to be honest. “Ow ow ow…”

Merlin twirled his staff around his fingers with a hum. “Think you can keep going? Or do you need a break?”

Kairi panted a bit as she shoved herself back onto her feet. But when she tried to summon the Keyblade, all that she managed was a small explosion of white sparks from her hand. “I don’t...I don’t think I can keep going,” she admitted, her head falling forward.

Her mentor nodded and tossed the staff over to a rack, where it managed to bounce directly into place. He seemed surprised that he managed such a feat. “Well, don’t expect that again,” he joked. Another glance to his student told him that she wouldn’t meet his eyes as she wiped at the sweat pouring down her face. “Hey, what’s wrong? You’re doing well for your first day.”

“But will it...will it be enough?” Kairi looked up at Merlin with desperation in her eyes. “Everyone’s been fighting against the darkness! The King, you and everyone at Hollow Bastion, Master Yen Sid, especially Riku and Sora! And I’ve been doing nothing, to the point I almost ended up being used to hurt them!” She let out a soft sob and suddenly fell to her knees, hiding her face in her hands. “I did nothing, even as a kid, they were always play fighting, all I did was be their friend and patch them up. I’m all but useless!”

Merlin crouched in front of her and tilted her chin up with his hand, wiping her eyes when she moved her hands. “Hey, don’t _ever_ think you’re useless. Okay? Even without being able to fight, your friendship with them is one of your greatest weapons. Do you really think Sora and Riku would have survived without you to motivate them? And without you, Sora would still be a Heartless and Riku wouldn’t have had the strength to stop the darkness long enough for you to run away.” He smiled and pulled a handkerchief out for her. “You’re a Princess of Heart, and a Keyblade wielder. You’re one of the most important people here, Miss Kairi. You’re just getting a late start in training. But that’s what you’re here for. Plus, you’ll be gaining experience in your travels. Don’t get discouraged so quickly.”

The redhead nodded and blew her nose wetly, a slight hiccup escaping. “S-sorry…”

“It’s alright. I’m here to help, remember?” Merlin gave her wrist a gentle squeeze before he helped her back up. “Now, how about we get cleaned up and get some dinner and rest? While time in this dimension compared to the other dimension is much faster, we can still keep a relatively stable schedule.” He waved his hand and a door revealed itself from the rest of the wallpaper. “Down through the door is a hallway of rooms, third on the left is the master bathroom, so you can get cleaned up first. I’ll get us some dinner started.”

Kairi nodded and sniffled a bit, but she was smiling as she wiped her forehead. “Ye-yeah...thanks, Master Merlin.”

“Please, just Merlin.”

“Okay then. Thank you, Just Merlin.” He simply laughed.The training passed slowly but surely, with Kairi feeling like she was going to die by the end of every day. When she wasn’t training her body, she was training with her magic. Either way, she was growing stronger every day, which they all seemed to blur together the longer they spent in the alternate dimension. But she still felt like it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t ever going to be enough…!

Eventually Merlin took the chance one ‘day,’ during the first spar, to take her out far too quickly for her liking. His staff pressed gently at her throat to keep her still. “It’s time for a break, my dear,” he told her with a smile. “You need a couple of days at least to let yourself fully recuperate. You’ve been working hard, but you’re pushing yourself too much.”

“But!” Kairi pushed the staff away and jumped back up on her feet. “There’s still so much to do left! I need to learn more!”

“Miss Kairi, you’ve mastered the Curaga and both Aerora and Reflera spell levels, and you’re very close to mastering the other magics. As for the fighting, you’re fairly accomplished now. You’re not a world-class fighter, to be sure, but you can hold your own. Before your adventure, you need to relax,” Merlin said. His staff disappeared again and he put his hands on Kairi’s shoulders. “Believe me, I know the pain of wanting to dive headfirst to save your friends. But I can also tell you that if you go in with a clouded mind, it won’t end well. So please, for my sake as well as yours, rest.”

Kairi looked down for a moment, but she nodded and gave him a nervous smile. “Okay...how long have we been here anyway?”

Merlin reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange pocket watch that he flipped open. “Well, according to the time, in this dimension it’s been six months. But outside, back with everyone, it’s been six days.”

Kairi’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

He simply laughed at her incredulous expression. “A day there is a month here! So you’ve put in quite a lot of growth in a seemingly short time. I think you’re ready.”

After a moment she beamed in pride. “Really? You think so?!”

“Yes, I do. But first, we take some time to mentally prepare ourselves,” he replied with a tap to her forehead. “To fight the darkness, you need a clear mind, and a strong heart. You already have the latter. Today, we work on the former.” He offered his hand, and when she took it he led her out a door he magicked out of the wall. What was behind it was not what she expected at all.

The two of them stepped out on a lush island, with only a large tree looming overhead. Kairi could immediately feel the energy thrumming throughout each blade of grass and rustle of leaves. “This...isn’t an ordinary island, is it?”

Merlin shook his head, a look of immeasurable sadness in his eyes. “Welcome to the Isle of Avalon, Kairi. Here is where I come to when I need a moment’s respite…” He wandered through the thick grass towards the tree. “It is also where my closest friend rests.”

“Friend?” Kairi followed him curiously. “Who’s your friend?”

“His name is Arthur, Kairi. He is the Once and Future King.” When Merlin stopped at the tree he pressed a hand to the bark as he looked up at the branches. “Beneath this tree, protected by the roots and the waters surrounding the island, his body lies, eternally young. He...he died. Many centuries ago.”

Kairi’s eyes widened in surprise. “O-oh, I’m, I’m so sorry...what happened?”

Merlin closed his eyes for a moment. “He died defeating a great evil that threatened our world, Albion. He is the one of prophecy, who would bring magic back to our land. When he passed, the prophecy said he would return when Albion needs him most. I am still waiting for that day, for they will need us both.”

The redhead was quiet as she contemplated his words, and then she pressed her own hand gently against the tree trunk. “...I can feel him,” she said softly. “It’s almost like he’s...sleeping, I guess.” It was a pure light, similar to that of the Princesses, but like all others there was still that tinge of darkness. But as she had learned, where there was light there would always be darkness. It didn’t mean it was a bad thing. It was only bad when it overwhelmed you.

Merlin chuckled a bit. “You’ve gotten really good at sensing people’s hearts.” He sighed and turned so that he could slide down, until he was sitting in the grass. “When I’m not needed somewhere, I come here often for rest...for a bit of a think. And sometimes to talk to Arthur as well.”

Kairi followed his example and slid down with him, legs crossed beneath her. “What was he to you? If I can ask!” she added hastily.

He laughed and shrugged. “At first we hated each other! He was a prat and a bully, and he didn’t like my sarcasm. But over time, we became best friends.” His cheeks turned a faint pink and he cleared his throat. “We...might have become even more.”

She tilted her head curiously. “What stopped you?”

“Well, there was his soon-to-be queen Guinevere, for one thing.”

“Oh, yeah, that’ll definitely do it.”

“I’m not bitter at all though. In fact, I had a little bit of a crush on her too, and she had one on me for a bit. But she was what Arthur needed at the time. I wasn’t needed as his partner in romance. I was needed as his friend.” The wizard shrugged before laughing. “Besides, she was the only one who could make him behave in court!”

The young woman laughed and leaned a bit against her mentor. “Well, now you have me to keep you company too. I hope I’ve been able to help you, if you ever got lonely.”

Merlin chuckled and wrapped a tender arm around his young ward. “You have, Kairi. You and your friend Sora have made things quite exciting the last few years. And once this whole business with the Heartless and Nobodies is over, I’m looking forward to seeing what you two, and your friend Riku, make of yourselves. After all, destiny isn’t an exact science. You can always change it so that your destiny is what makes you happy.”

“That’s...really wise. Thanks, Merlin. Hey, you didn’t call me Miss Kairi that time!”

“And you don’t call me Master Merlin anymore. I think we’ve reached that point.”

For the first time in quite a while, Kairi’s heart felt light as feathers. With allies such as Merlin, she would definitely be able to do anything!Yen Sid looked upon the young lady in front of him with admiration. In what was to him an incredibly short amount of time, she had grown up. Her shoulders were squared, she stood an inch taller and straighter, and the strength that he had seen but a glimpse of before was now extremely apparent. “I see you’re ready to leave, Miss Kairi.”

She nodded. “Thank you for your help, Master Yen Sid. But now it’s time to actually go out there and help my friends.”

“Well, here’s one last gift, for when you find Riku.” Yen Sid pulled a glass orb that glowed a brilliant pale yellow. “His own ability to transform, just as you and Sora have. Your friends will give you the strength you need, as will his.”

She accepted the orb and slipped it into one of her pockets. The pocket didn’t even bulge, thanks to the fact it was much bigger on the inside. Another trick of magic, and it was one she really appreciated. “Thank you, Master Yen Sid. Where should I go first?”

“I would suggest Hollow Bastion. I’m sure that you can find the right direction from there.”

Merlin gave Kairi’s shoulder a little squeeze as he smiled wide. “I’ll help you out as well. Shouldn’t take us too long in Hollow Bastion before we send you off.”

Kairi smiled at him and nodded before turning back to Yen Sid. “Again, thank you for everything, Master Yen Sid.” She gave the elder wizard a deep bow.

The wizard stood up and gave a bow in return. “Good luck, and godspeed, Your Highness.” He watched the two of them pass through the portal Merlin summoned and took a deep breath as he sat back down. Now it was up to her.


	3. The First Steps

Kairi winced a little bit as she stumbled out of the portal. Magical travel was a little hard on her stomach. “Wow, I’m ready to lay down for a bit,” she mumbled while grabbing her head. “I hope Gummi ships are easier on the body.”

“Don’t worry dear, it is,” Merlin reassured her with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder. “Magic can be tricky. But your skills in magic are some of the best I’ve seen in years! You’ll be a fine Keybearer yet!”

The redhead looked at the man, noting that he was still in his younger form. “Do you think we can find someone who can teach me how to drive a Gummi Ship?”

“Probably, although they do have an autopilot feature,” he replied. Before they went any farther he snapped his fingers, and in a poof of smoke he was back to wearing the blue robe, pointed hat, and the face (and beard) of an old man. “Gotta keep up appearances, you see,” he added with a wink and a chuckle.

Kairi laughed and followed Merlin into the town square, where she was surprised to see how much Hollow Bastion had changed since the short time she had been there. Before, she had only seen the castle and the Rising Falls, where rubble had blocked the path from the castle to elsewhere. Now, that path had been cleared away and houses were steadily being rebuilt. Several houses were in use, and shops were open offering their wares. There was a small tea shop that caught her eye, namely for the two men arguing in front of it. One was dressed in the nice suit and apron of a waiter with ash blond hair, and the other was in the garb of a chef with pale blond hair pulled into a small ponytail.

“Bloody hell, Francis, what was that hogwash you told Alfred about retraining my taste buds?!”

“Well, clearly mon cher,  _ someone _ has to! Otherwise you’re only going to be able to taste burnt scones for the rest of your life, and that would be an insult to my cooking!”

“You want an insult? Well, everything would be much better deep fried!”

The chef let out a scandalized gasp, a hand pressed to his heart. “Arthur, truly you jest! You and I both know only Alfred would eat anything as ghastly that!”

After a moment both of them lost their stern glares and burst out laughing. Kairi grinned to herself before she paused for a moment in front of a weapons shop. There were several types of swords in one of the display cases, and another held magic staffs. On the back wall were hanging various other weapons as well as shields. It was definitely something to look into another day. As she left a group of girls approached, chatting about how their team was going to be the greatest Huntresses once Hollow Bastion was finished rebuilding.

“This town attracts a lot of colorful characters,” she commented to Merlin, noting how one of the girls was walking perfectly in high heels as white as her hair and dress. The shortest girl clung to her arm while going on an excitable rant with exaggerated arm motions toward the various weapons.

Merlin laughed and nodded. “Those four are beginning students at the new fighting school, Beacon Academy. A friend of mine, Ozpin, created it in case of another Heartless invasion. This time, we’re not going to be caught with the wool over our eyes!”

“Ooh, that’s really smart! But what about the regular schooling, like math and science and stuff?”

“Well, Beacon is for older students, and last I knew Aerith was coordinating the elementary and middle school details. I’ve been a little busy with working with Cid and managing the defenses of the world.” On a roof a small Shadow Heartless pulled itself out of the woodwork only for it to be blasted by a sudden flash of light. “See?”

Kairi’s eyes were wide with fascination. “Whoa, that’s really cool! Must make things a little easier on everyone.”

“Oh yes, it certainly does! Now come, my dear, we just need to go down to my house, it’s currently being used for headquarters for the Restoration Committee.” Merlin led Kairi through the streets, pointing out other interesting points of the shopping district. There was a chunk of shops that sold clothes, a few others that sold potions and ethers, and there was even a Moogle shop! She recognized the adorable little creatures easily.

They soon stopped in front of a quaint little house, with blue smoke cheerfully piping out of the chimney. She raised her eyebrow at the sight. “Blue smoke?”

“Well, that’s because it’s cold fire, Kairi! It’s getting rather hot, so cold fire keeps my house nice and cool during the hotter months.” Sure enough, when Kairi walked in after Merlin she spotted the blue flames flickering in the fireplace and felt the pleasant chill immediately settle on her skin. Huh, apparently not all blue fire was the hottest flame.

“Hey, look who it is!” A black-haired woman dressed in ninja garb bounced over to Kairi and gave her a giant hug. “Good to see you again, Kairi!”

“Yuffie! It’s good to see you too!” Kairi returned the hug and grinned up at her. “Keeping out of trouble?”

“Never! But what’re you doing here? Looking good, by the way, nice duds!”

“Thank you, the fairies with Master Yen Sid gave them to me!” At Yuffie’s prompting Kairi twirled to show off the entire outfit. “This guy, Axel, tried to kidnap me. But I managed to escape and ended up at Master Yen Sid’s tower. Merlin’s been teaching me magic and fighting for the last...um…”

“It’s been a week here,” the wizard helpfully offered.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Whoa, no wonder you’re looking so strong! Bet I can still beat you at arm wrestling though!”

Kairi laughed and shook her head with her hands held up. “I’m not taking that bet! Where’s everyone else though?”

“Leon and Cid are at the bailey checking on the Heartless situation from that height. Aerith’s off doing something with the hospital we rebuilt.” Yuffie shrugged with a small smile. “Otherwise, not much is really happening. Just slowly fixing up the town. You here to wait for Sora?”

Kairi smiled a bit and shook her head. “Not this time. I’m done waiting. And I have the power to help the worlds too, just like him.” To demonstrate she summoned the Keyblade briefly to show the startled Yuffie. “I’m not going to just sit around and wait any longer.”

The ninja let out a low whistle of appreciation. “Nice! But before you go, why don’t you just stick around for a bit to say hi to everyone else?”

Kairi nodded, and before she could add anymore she was grabbed by the great ninja and dragged out. “Wah! Yuffie, what’re you--”

“Come on, we’re gonna grab a bite to eat before we do anything else!”

“Oh, okay! Bye Merlin!”

“Now, take care, ladies!”

* * *

 

“Are you seriously telling me that you have ramen shops here too?”

“Yep! Why wouldn’t we? I can’t think of any worlds that wouldn’t have ramen!”

“I dunno, I just had this idea that different worlds would have different foods.”

“Well yeah, but remember how Traverse Town was basically a hub between worlds that had fallen to darkness? Hollow Bastion’s kinda like that too. Apparently there used to always be travel between worlds! But now there isn’t, so I dunno what’s gonna happen in that regard. Sure, we have some Gummi Ships, but it doesn’t mean we can travel to another world that easily. It’s a lot of techno mumbo jumbo that Cid was spouting off and I didn’t pay attention to, but it’s really complicated!”

Kairi hummed thoughtfully as she stirred her noodles around. “I wonder how different things would be if we could establish travel again…”

Yuffie shrugged and slurped up a mouthful of noodles. “Itsh a good queshtion,” she managed before swallowing. “I don’t remember too much before Hollow Bastion fell. I do remember that on the other side there were a whole lot of problems, something about a SOLDIER program, and a few other things. But that’s fine!” she chirped with a bright grin. “We’re doing important stuff here, and that takes precedence!”

Kairi matched her grin and laughed. “Yeah, exactly! Destiny Islands was pretty calm in comparison to here!” Her smile fell after a moment and turned into a frown. “After the islands came back, we didn’t get everyone back either. Some people turned into Heartless. So things for a while were really…”

“Off-kilter?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Same here. Took us a year to get us this far, after all.” Yuffie took a long swallow of her milk and sighed in satisfaction, spinning on her stool to look at the hustle and bustle of the populace. “But hey, think of things like this: what goes down must come up! I mean, look at you, all ready to fight and stuff,” she added with a playful nudge. “Did you ever think you’d be here?”

Kairi laughed and shook her head. “Nope! I never even thought I’d be a Princess of Heart or anything like that!”

Yuffie snickered with a nod. “Surprises around every corner! I tell ya, one of the biggest surprises was seeing Sora a while back.” She noticed the way Kairi straightened up just a smidge and smirked. “Yeah, he stopped by here to see us too. He’s like a head taller now, but still in all his spiky sunshine glory!”

“No way, last time I saw him he was my height!”

“Hey, you grew too! I bet you two’ll be close in height still anyway--and I gotta ask, what was WITH those old shoes of his?! They made me think of clown shoes!”

“Yeah, Destiny Islands fashion...it’s a little weird at times. Sora just  _ had _ to get those shoes, so he saved up his allowance for them.”

“Well, all I can say is thank god he kind of grew into them! He’s in black too, but I think he’s trying to take after Leon without knowing it. A lot of pockets and some extra belts.”

“Really? I noticed it with some others around here too! What’s with the belts, are they scared their pants will fall off?”

“I really don’t know! At least you’re relatively normal with just a belt and the two pockets.”

“The three fairies put the outfit together for me. I’m just glad that the pockets are so big and roomy! Do you know how hard it is to find a dress that has pockets in them? It’s like finding a needle in a haystack!”

“And that’s why I wear shorts!”

It felt great to be chatting with Yuffie again. She had always made Kairi feel like things were somewhat normal even when the world was going to hell in a handbasket. And here they were, talking about fashion and boys over noodles, almost like she would have before with Selphie. It did well to help settle her mind more about what was to come. After they finished off their meals and were sitting in relaxed silence, Kairi spoke up. “Hey...do you really think that things will be okay again?”

Yuffie blinked in surprise and glanced at Kairi, chewing on the straw in her mouth for a moment before replying. “I do. We got good people with strong hearts on our side. Not to mention you and Sora both have Keyblades, and I think the King does too. So yeah, I think we’re gonna be okay! Don’t overthink things, you’ll only start to panic and then you’ll get a permanent grumpy face like Leon does, okay?”

The redhead giggled and nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Yuffie.” She sighed and stretched her arms up. “We should be heading back. I need to ask the others about getting a Gummi ship of my own to go around.”

“Well, you can’t go alone! You gotta have someone with you!”

“I’ll find someone. Sora found Donald and Goofy, can’t be that hard to find someone!”

“To be fair, they kind of fell on him, rather than finding him.”

“Oh my god. I’m not surprised, how sad is that?”

“No, it’s pretty accurate for them. Well, let’s head back then! Gotta walk off the noodles or we’ll turn into them!” Yuffie grabbed a laughing Kairi’s arm and looped hers around it.

When they walked into Merlin’s house Aerith was the one to notice their visitor. “Kairi! I didn’t expect to see you!” she exclaimed, hurrying over to give a hug. Leon gave her a nod, and Cid waved from his spot at the computer. “What are you doing here?”

Kairi quickly explained to them everything that she had been through, ending with, “So now I was hoping that I could maybe borrow a Gummi ship so I can go out and help them. Pretty please?” She batted her pretty blue eyes hopefully.

Leon was unmoved. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“What?! Why not?”

“You’re a very important person, Kairi. You already lost your heart once, we don’t want to risk you losing yours again.”

Kairi huffed angrily. “Sora lost his heart once before too, when he freed mine! But he’s out saving the worlds right now. Are you saying I’m more important than he is?”

Yuffie and Merlin both smothered their snickers as Leon seemed to stutter a bit in indignation. “That isn’t what I mean at all. What I mean is that he has Donald and Goofy with him, and other friends on certain worlds. We can’t spare anyone to go with you on your travels.”

“Then I’ll make new friends and such! I’m not a little girl, and I’m not helpless anymore. I can actually  _ do _ things, I can fight!”

“She’s right,” Merlin piped up from where he was reorganizing his books. “She’s gotten very good at it!”

Leon still looked unimpressed, even with the glare that Kairi was giving him. “I would still rather you at least wait until the next time Sora comes back.”

Kairi suddenly let out an angry sound with a startling stomp of her foot. “Everyone keeps telling me to wait, wait, wait! I’ve already had to wait a year for him, and now that I’m ready to go out there, it’s like I’m some kind of fragile figurine!”

“Nice alliteration.”

The redhead ignored Yuffie’s comment. “I’m not just someone to be kept on a pedestal out of harm’s way. And if I have to go and find someone who will help me myself, that’s just what I’ll do.”

“Now Kairi, Leon didn’t mean any harm,” Aerith started. “He’s just trying to protect as many people as he can, including you. But if this is really what you want, we’ll help you. Right?” She shot Leon a look that silenced him before he could speak, and he simply sighed and nodded with arms crossed. The brunette looked pleased and she turned back to Kairi. “See?”

Kairi nodded, looking a little contrite. “Sorry, I’m just...a little frustrated.”

“That’s okay, Leon can be a pretty frustrating guy!” Yuffie grinned even as Leon glared at her. “But we get it. You just wanna get out there and help, right?”

“I mean, if you wanna just take a look at the Gummi ships, it ain’t hard to get to,” Cid added. His voice always did remind Kairi of a bear’s grumble. But his crooked smile was always reassuring. “Just down the street from here, third left, then second right, can’t miss it.”

She nodded with a small smile. “Alright. Thanks for the help guys. I’ll go check it out and leave you guys to your work, see you later!”

Once she was out the door Cid snorted. “You guys know she’s gonna be gone once she meets Candra, right?”

Leon slapped his forehead with a groan. “Oh no…”

* * *

 

Kairi knew that she wasn’t that great with directions, and once again her own feet proved it. She took two wrong turns before accidentally stumbling across the Gummi Garage. “I really need to start getting maps of places,” she muttered to herself. In front of the entrance was a girl her age, dressed in heavy cream pants trimmed in tan, thick tan combat boots, and a turquoise t-shirt with a peekaboo neckline. Judging by the shield and sword in hand she was guarding the garage. She looked bored though…”Um, excuse me?”

The girl immediately straightened up, thick brown curls bobbing with the action and brushing against her shoulders. “Yes, what can I do for you?” Her grin shone stark white against her dark skin, and the sheer enthusiasm that was radiating from her reassured Kairi.

“I was wondering if I’d be able to go inside the garage to see the ships,” the redhead said, fingers fiddling in her hair a bit. “I’m going to be leaving soon to travel to different worlds, see, I’m looking for a couple of friends of mine.”

The guard looked ever so excited, but she tried to school her features into a more stern expression. “Well, that depends, miss, there are only certain people allowed in! That’s because these three duck kids tried to make their own and accidentally caused some kind of explosion. So now only people given clearance by the Restoration Committee can go in!”

“Oh, well, Cid and Leon said I could look. I’m Kairi, by the way.”

“Ah! No way, you’re one of the Princesses of Heart, right?” The guard snapped a sharp salute, standing stick straight. “My name is Candra, Your Highness! Happy to serve!”

Kairi flushed in surprise and exclaimed, “Nono, please, just call me Kairi! Just because I’m a Princess of Heart doesn’t mean I deserve special treatment! Really, you don’t need to do anything extra!”

Candra fell out of the army pose, but still stood at a relaxed sort of attention. “Well, if you say so, ma’am. But if you’re here to look at Gummi ships, I can help with that!” She slid her sword back into its sheath and turned to the doorway. She entered a passcode on the entrance frame, and once the door slid open she stood to the side and bowed. “After you, ma’am.”

Kairi was blushing at the way she was being addressed. “Please, just Kairi, no ma’am or anything like that! I’m only 16, it’s not like I’m an adult or anything!”

“Oh hey, we’re the same age! Awesome!” Candra beamed before she followed Kairi inside the garage. There were several different types already waiting to be used, and others were still being built. Some were apparently cargo ships, and there were a few that looked like passenger ships. “What you’re looking for would be something like a fighter ship, but with enough room for a few others. How many are you thinking of going with?”

Kairi shrugged, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. “I’m still trying to figure that out. I know at least three though. Me, a magician, and a fighter. Actually...do you think you could come with me? You look like you’re really strong!” Indeed, Candra’s muscles were highly defined, and on occasion Kairi found herself distracted by the broad shoulders or the thick biceps. Her body actually reminded her a little of Wakka!

When she was asked the question Candra proved the redhead wrong and seemed to beam even more than ever. “Of course, miss--I mean, Kairi! Kairi, yes, I can do that! I’d love to, and I’m sure that Mr. Leonhart would be happier if he knew you had someone with you!”

“Mr. Leonhart?”

“Well, he tells everyone to call him Leon, but Mama always told me to treat my elders with respect, and I reeeeaaally wanna be an amazing fighter like him, and one day become a Royal Guard when the ruling family is reinstated again!” Candra bounced a bit on her toes in eagerness before jumping over to the fighter-class ships. It seemed that gravity had lost some of its hold on her, she was so happy. “Mr. Cid’s taught me how to operate these, especially the weapons systems, so I can teach you how to navigate while I man the weapons in case we’re attacked! Let’s see, which type, which type…”

Kairi watched her curiously as she pulled what seemed to be a computer screen out from the wall, tapping on the screen and scrolling through digital files. “Wow, it’s really a lot more advanced here than in Merlin’s house.”

“Yeah, Mr. Cid focused on optimizing the garage first before working on the rest of the town. He said he wanted the defenses up and ready first, as well as ships to take people in case of evacuation.” Candra hummed a bit to herself before picking out a file. “The  _ Highwind _ class of ships are the most balanced in defense and power, and while they’re not quite as fast as the  _ Falcon _ class they’re probably best suited.  _ Falcons _ don’t have the same defense strength. And oh, what do you know, we have a  _ Highwind _ level 2 already created! Damn, don’t have enough for level 3, or else I’d go for that one. But this works! I’ll get us some supplies and we can head out whenever you’re ready!”

Bright blue eyes were wide in excitement and Kairi nodded eagerly. “Can we go now? Or as soon as you can get the stuff?”

Candra gave her a roguish grin. “You got it!”

By the time the Committee had made it to the Garage (a group of Heartless had decided to show their ugly faces), Candra was already on board beginning the pre-flight process and Kairi was just about to climb in. She turned on the ladder and waved to the group with an eager grin. “Bye guys! Thanks for everything! Tell Merlin I’ll see him later!”

“Wait!” Kairi hesitated and Aerith threw her a bag. “Some goodies for the road, and a few potions and ethers as well! Take care of yourself!”

“Yeah, kick some ass, Princess!”

“Stay sharp, kid!” Cid rubbed his nose and waved with a grin. Leon simply gave Kairi a defeated smile and waved as well.

Kairi laughed and waved as well. “If Sora comes back, tell him I’ll see him soon! And that he better not get himself in any more trouble!” Then she was inside the Gummi ship, settled in what Candra had told her was the captain’s chair, and soon enough they were shooting off into the stars.


	4. The Big Easy Bayou

_I don’t remember too much about Hollow Bastion, but I don’t think it had that name. I remember that the skies were this beautiful blue, and there was a park I used to play in all the time with some friends! It was huge, with an area that was a public garden, and you could take your dogs to play there too. I didn’t have a dog, but people were totally fine with letting you pet their dogs and play with them._

_The moat had so many fish, it was impossible to name them all! My dad had a permit when there actually was a moat, so he’d take me fishing a lot with him. Nowadays it’s totally empty, so I don’t know if it’s actually gonna be filled again. I wish it would be though. It wasn’t even a defensive measure. It was literally for swimming and fishing._

_I never got to go into the castle, but I always really admired the Royal Knights. Two of them were really nice, Dilan and Aeleus. They may have been really stern guards and stuff, but they always answered my questions and told me some cool stories! I haven’t seen them though, I hope they’re alright. Aeleus actually encouraged me to become a Royal Knight!_

_The guy who ruled the place was called Ansem the Wise, and he liked to go out to speak with people a lot. He had an easygoing way around him, you know? It was like talking to your favorite uncle. He cared about his people, and when we were kids we’d run up to hug him even though our parents told us to be more respectful. But he always laughed and returned the hugs. And he loved sea-salt ice cream! I can think of a handful of times that he didn’t have a popsicle in hand!_

_I wish you could have seen it before, Kairi. It was beautiful, and there were so many good people. I just hope things get better and--_

** WARNING, WARNING: ENEMY SHIPS APPROACHING. WARNING, WARNING, ENEMY SHIPS APPROACHING. **

Candra and Kairi both jumped in surprise. “I guess story time’s over,” the Knight-to-be said with a grin, finishing off her sandwich. “How are you at steering?”

“I could steer a boat and I was good at playing racing games, but--”

“Good enough! Come on, I’ll man the guns, you steer us clear of enemy fire.” Candra noticed Kairi’s paling complexion and she reached over to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Relax, pretend it’s a video game, and you’ll be fine!” Better to pretend it’s fun and games than focus on the fact this was a real battle. Curls bounced while Candra slid into a different chair. A holographic image came up in front of her and she quickly typed a few commands into the onboard computer. “Just take a seat Kairi, I got things taken care of!”

The redhead bit her lip nervously and she took a deep breath before sliding back into the captain’s chair. “How do I get the steering mechanism up?”

“Flip the covered switch from automatic to manual.”

Kairi did so, and a plane’s steering wheel slid up out of the console. In front of her eyes a holographic image appeared, showing the enemy ships starting to come toward them. “All I have to do is steer and avoid things?”

“And when I take out the ships they oftentimes drop energy balls or gummi parts,” Candra added. She pulled a bandana out of her pocket and used it to push her thick hair out of her face. There was a determined grin on her face as she cracked her knuckles. “Just collect those and the energy balls will keep our shields up, while the gummi parts will let us build a stronger ship that’ll be faster as well. Let’s do this!”

“Oh I wish I had your optimism right now!” Kairi flinched when a shot just missed the ship and she swerved to avoid another fusillade. “Shit, that was close!”

“Not bad, not bad! But concentrate on just getting us through this wave!” Candra’s hands sped across the keyboard, inputting weapon commands. A double joystick soon popped out of the control panel and the knight took it with what seemed to be a savage glee. “Here we go!”

Kairi had to keep all of her focus on getting through and dodging. She flinched whenever a shot or ten bounced off the shields, glancing at the shield gauge every few seconds. Collecting those odd energy balls helped though. When one ship seemed to be on a head-on collision she jerked the wheel and sent the ship into a sudden barrel roll. If not for the automatic stabilizers the two would've been knocked out of their seats. “Doesn't this thing have seatbelts?!”

“I'll check next time! How's our course progress?”

“Progr--it's on manual! I'm focusing on keeping us alive and stuff, not staying on course!”

“No no, the ship is designed so that while the engine is still on course toward a planet, when evasive maneuvers are needed you can use them without falling off course! On your two!”

“My what?”

“In front and to the right!”

“Oh!”

Candra rolled her eyes a bit before she hit a button to set off a flash bomb, the shields automatically darkening the holographic windows in order to protect the inhabitants’ eyes. “Remind me to teach you how clock positions work when it comes to positions!”

“Hey, I know what on your six means at least!”

“And now you know two, there’s only ten more clock positions to learn!”

“I’m calling on Princess privilege now, no sassing me!”

“Sorry, doesn’t apply when we’re in space!” Candra cackled a bit as she used the enemies’ blindness in order to take out several of the larger ships. “You’re not half-bad, Kai! According to the radar, we’re almost through the cloud of ships! Just hold on a little longer!”

Kairi nodded and swallowed heavily, feeling beads of sweat drip down her temple toward her jaw. This was far more stressful than any school test that she had taken! There was a very possible chance of the two of them dying! This was terrifying! “D-do you know how much longer?”

“Not off the top of my head. There’s still about ten left though! You just focus on steering and keeping us safe, okay? Don’t worry about anything else!”

The redhead bit her lip and reached to her pendant for a moment, clutching it for strength. It had been a Christmas gift from Sora--the first one he gave her, in fact. He was doing this, and he already had been far longer than she had. He survived it, so could she. “Okay...I got this.” She gripped the steering wheel again and focused once again on the window. She could do this, she could do this, she could do this…

Candra’s fingers flew as she switched from the laser blasts to careful bomb triggers and back. This reminded her of the simulations that Merlin had created in order to help them practice for attacks such as these. The only difference was that this was the real deal--which she seriously tried not to focus on. There was a moment where she kept pressing the firing button, only to realize she was shooting empty space. “Wha...wait…” A quick glance at the radar and she slumped in her seat with a relieved sigh. “We made it, Kai!”

Kairi had to pry her fingers from the steering wheel and once she flipped the switch back to auto-drive she put her head between her knees. “Ohhh my gods…” Yep, she was going to faint. She had never fainted before, but there was a first time for everything.

Candra looked over and when she realized that Kairi wasn’t doing very well she scrambled out of the chair. “It’s alright Princess,” she said gently, kneeling next to the redhead. “Just take deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. You’ll be alright. Kind of nerve-wracking, your first space battle, I get it.”

Kairi took several long, deep breaths, slowly regaining her equilibrium. Eventually she pushed herself back up into a sitting position. “I’m okay...just kind of freaked out.”

“Yeah, first time I went out into the field I thought I was going to be sick too.” Candra gave her shoulder a squeeze while smiling softly. “Need a drink of water?”

“Please. How do I get this ship back to automatic, flip the switch back?”

“Yep. Be right back.” Candra hurried away, and Kairi flipped the controls back to automatic before she fell back against her chair. A memory drifted past, it felt so long ago that it might as well have been a far-off dream.

_“Sora, don’t ever change.”_

God, had she been naive. After everything that Sora had been through, there was no way that he hadn’t changed now. And everyone changed anyway. Even she had, in ways she had never expected. A water bottle drifted into her vision, along with deep brown eyes swimming with concern. “You gonna be okay?

Kairi nodded slowly, accepting the water bottle. “Yeah, just...a little overwhelmed.”

“I hear ya. Honestly, doing this without the others back at Hollow Bastion was pretty scary,” Candra confessed. “But we did pretty well! We didn’t die!”

“That’s a plus I guess!” Kairi couldn’t help but giggle, and then the world they were heading to came into view, the name flashing on the screen in large letters:

**_The Big Easy Bayou_ **

Candra grinned. “Time to teleport on down! Ready?”

Kairi took a quick swig of her water before tucking it into her bag. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

* * *

In the French Quarter on Royal Street, down inside the basement of a dimly-lit house, a man thin as a rake and held together inside a tacky purple suit stood in front of a giant mask on the wall, the Heartless emblem evident on its forehead. “My dear friends, I know I’m in hock with y’all already, but it seems that our little froggy prince has lost his way, and I need your generous assistance in getting him back.” He cringed slightly as the masks populating the wall glared down at him with growls. He did however make sure to keep his fear hidden away behind laughter and an over-confident smile. “I hear ya. Now what’s in it for y’all?”

He popped his hat back on his head as he pulled out a little voodoo doll of a pudgy man with an impressive mustache. “As soon as I get rid of Big Daddy La Bouff, then _I’ll_ run this town!” A representation of the city erupted around him, only to appear in his hand. “I’ll have the city of New Orleans in the palm of my hand, and you’ll have all the wayward hearts you desire.” A simple blow sent the tiny figures in his palm flying to the masks, purple smoke sucked in greedily.

Doctor Facilier smirked. “Y’all like that, don’tcha? So, do we have a deal?”

* * *

 

“Oh shit!”

Candra raised an eyebrow toward Kairi. “Get mud in your shoes?”

The redhead growled as she pulled herself out of the muck and onto a relatively dry riverbank. “The ballet slippers are comfortable but are terrible for this kind of thing! Remind me to find a place to get sturdy boots for this sort of trip.”

“Noted.” The brunette had a hand on her hilt, looking around the area carefully. The sun had set by then, which made the bayou dark and off putting. Considering the amount of Heartless that had been trying to stop them on the way to the world, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were more hidden away. Her nose twitched as she caught a whiff of wood smoke. “This way.” She started trekking through the undergrowth, leaving Kairi to stumble after her. “Stay close too, there might be man-eating creatures.”

“Well wouldn’t it help if we had a light to keep us from falling into a ditch where something can eat us?” Kairi hissed softly, delicately finding places to step in Candra’s wake. “There’s not enough natural light from the sky!”

“Well, if you have a light on you--” Candra was cut off by Kairi holding up a hand, now shining with light. The aspiring knight blinked. “...Okay, that works. It’ll help keep creatures away too.” They continued through the swamp, Candra keeping track of the wood smoke, until it was strong enough that the light starting to reach them came from the apparent campfire. Kairi cut the spell and they approached near-silently, one with a sword and one with a Keyblade.

Around the campfire they spotted what to their eyes was still quite a strange sight, even with everything that they’ve seen. Two frogs and a gator were laughing at a story told by a firefly, a delicious scent wafting from what seemed to be a gourd. Kairi and Candra looked at each other before Destiny’s Embrace was gone in a flash. This let Candra relax a tad. Kairi, much to the other’s chagrin, simply walked through the bushes. “Hi there!” she chirped with a smile.

The animals’ reactions were pretty hysterical, from an outsider’s point of view. The alligator shrieked and dove into a pricker bush with even more screams while the frogs suddenly hopped into the bushes and the firefly hid in the tree. Candra groaned and followed her out, sheathing her sword. “Nice job, Kai.”

The redhead stuck her tongue out at her before looking back at the campfire. “Sorry for scaring you guys! My name’s Kairi, and this is my friend Candra! We’re new to this area, and, well, we’re not entirely sure where we’re going. Could you guys help us please?”

After a few moments one of the frogs poked its head out. “You certainly aren’t from around these parts,” she drawled, the voice startling the two girls. “Can’t think of any girls what would be caught in pants.”

Candra huffed a bit and crossed her arms. “They’re very utilitarian and useful! I’m not going to be fighting in a frilly dress.”

The two frogs hopped out while Kairi quickly calmed Candra. “Sorry,” the first frog said. “It’s just, well, not something you see. Ever. My name’s Tiana, and this is Naveen.”

“Enchante~” the second frog purred with an elegant bow. “Mind you, we’re not normally like this.”

“Do you mean snappy?” Candra muttered. Kairi smacked her arm.

Naveen looked a little awkward as he shifted on his feet. “More...not frogs.”

That caught the two girls’ attention. “What happened?”

“This crazy no-good prince went and got himself all mixed up with the Shadow Man and got cursed,” Tiana deadpanned with crossed arms. “And he got me mixed up in it too!”

“Hey, you were the one in a princess dress and tiara, how was I supposed to know you were only a waitress?!”

“You didn’t say anything about needing a kiss from a princess, just that a kiss would break the curse! And now we’re in a bayou with only a gator and a firefly to help make sure we don’t die on the way to Mama Odie’s!”

Kairi and Candra glanced at each other for a moment, before Kairi crouched down to be on their level. “You know, I’m something of a princess myself. Maybe I can help? What do you need me to do?”

The two frogs looked highly doubtful. “What’s a princess doing out in the bayou dressed like that?” Tiana asked.

Kairi rolled her eyes. “Just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean I ate from silver spoons in an ivory tower!”

“Polished marble.”

“Besides, I’m not the sort to just stand by and wait.” _At least, not anymore._ ”I’m going around helping people, and fighting to defend them if I have to. So, what do you need that a princess can give?”

Tiana looked highly distrustful, and even Naveen looked like he had some misgivings. “Well, to break the curse, I have to be kissed by a princess. But, are you sure you’re a princess? I’m the Prince of Maldonia, and I can’t recall ever meeting you before.”

Kairi simply shrugged. “I was adopted. Didn’t know I was a princess until recently. I wouldn’t have said anything if you didn’t need one though.”

The firefly drifted out of the tree, having decided that it was safe to do so. “Come on, what’s the worst that can happen?” he asked, the southern drawl so thick and heavy that Candra likened it to honey. “Oh, my name’s Raymond, but everyone calls me Ray,” the little bug added, punctuating his words with sky writing. “The gator what still hiding is Louis. Come on, Louis, get out here!”

Only a pair of eyes poked nervously out of the bushes. “Are you sure?”

“ ‘Course I’m sure! More sure than you tryin’ to find Mama Odie’s!”

Naveen sighed and shrugged with a small smile. “Well, worst that can happen is you turn into a frog as well, and then we all have to ask this Mama Odie for help.”

Candra put a hand on Kairi’s shoulder, shaking her head. “We shouldn’t. We need your blade, Kairi. You won’t be very useful if this backfires and you turn into a frog.”

Kairi frowned. “But I’m a princess of Heart, darkness can’t do anything to me. When I lost my heart I didn’t turn into a Heartless.” She remembered hiding within Sora’s soul, peering out through his eyes but unable to truly communicate with him. Flashes of memory, times when he was vulnerable, was when she could break through to him. “A curse can’t do anything to me.”

Candra’s hand tightened and she shook her head even more insistently. “I can’t in good consciousness allow this, Your Highness.” The fact that she was using formal titles again made Kairi pause. “Instead, let’s wait and see if Mama Odie thinks it’s a good idea or not. This way, we’ll still have a highly capable fighter with us.”

“Well…” Kairi’s lips twisted into a grimace, but after some time she nodded. “You have a good point. I’ll wait then.” She looked at Louis, who was writhing every time Ray pulled another pricker out of his caboose. “Do you want help with that?”

“Oh please cher, these things take a lotta strength if ya know what I mean!”

Kairi giggled a bit as she stepped carefully closer around the frogs. “No worries! I can do this no problem!”

Candra found a relatively clean and dry log to sit down on next to the fire. “So, what exactly happened? How did you become a frog in the first place?”

Naveen fidgeted with a piece of stone that was sharpened enough to use as a knife. “I was, well...I was an idiot--”

“And he admits it!”

The frog prince glared at his unwilling partner before continuing. “I went to see a man named Doctor Facilier with my valet, Lawrence. He said he’d make sure both our wishes came true, and my wish was to get money again.”

“He’s cut off from his parents, so he was hoping to marry my best friend Charlotte,” Tiana grumbled while eying Naveen suspiciously. The male shrugged in a manner that indicated he didn’t believe he was at fault. “And because he trusted the Shadow Man, he’s gone and gotten himself cursed as a frog, and dragged me into it!”

“Hey, you were dressed up as a princess, how was I to know you’re not one?!”

“Other than the fact it was a costume ball, if you had been there in time you would’ve seen me there as a beignet seller, before that dress got ruined!” Tiana huffed and turned away with arms crossed. “Honestly, you wouldn’t know what hard work is if you got hit in the face with it!”

Naveen visibly bristled. “Just because I grew up a prince doesn’t mean I don’t know hard work! It’s just different! I had to learn all the customs, at least three languages--English isn’t even my first language--history, military tactics--”

“ _At least you never had to worry about having a roof over your head or food on your plate!_ ”

Candra whistled sharply, two fingers giving it a piercing quality. “Alright, you two, break it up! This kind of arguing is going to get us nowhere! Now both of you, go to separate sides of this little area until you calm down, and only then will you be back allowed here!”

“But he--”

“She--”

The knight gave them a steely look, and after two moments of defiance, five in the case of Tiana, the two slinked apart to cool down. Kairi, Louis, and Ray all looked at her. “...Nice diffusion,” the redhead said.

The brunette shrugged. “When you have siblings you figure out how to keep them from killing each other. So, Ray, you said something about going to someone?”

“Oh sure, Mama Odie!” The firefly landed on her hand cheerfully. “She’s a hoodoo priestess, no idea how old but they say she been here since forever! If anyone can figure out how to undo a curse like this, it’s her!”

Kairi gave the alligator a pat. “All set.”

“Oh, thank you!”

“What’s that in your hand?” The innocent question sent Louis off on an excited tangent on how he had found the trumpet, and then how he would follow the boats on the river and watch them play, and figure out how to do it as well. It was an adorable story that made her smile. It reminded her a bit of how animated Sora would get, but he would keep being interrupted by Riku.

There was a pang in her heart at the thought of her two best friends. Were they safe? Comfortable? Scared?

It took a long while, but eventually the two frogs came from their mutual sides. Surprisingly, it was Naveen who spoke first. “Sorry for making it seem that you had things easier,” he said carefully. It was clear he was weighing each word delicately. “I didn’t mean to…” He struggled to come up with the right word. “Make light of? Minimize?”

“Trivialize?”

“ _Exacta_!” he exclaimed with a quick grin towards Kairi. “I didn’t mean to trivialize your struggles or anything of the sort.”

Tiana looked at him carefully before her shoulders relaxed and she nodded, taking his hand. “Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for snapping and flying off the handle like that.”

“Well, I did kind of deserve it.”

“Just a bit.”

A faint gasp from Ray drew everyone’s attention as the firefly floated up off the flower he was resting on. “There she is,” he sighed, absolutely besotted. “My dear Evangeline~”

The group looked around in confusion. “Where is she, Ray?”

“How can you miss her? She's glowing right there in front of you!”

Kairi’s eyes widened upon realization as Ray broke into song. Naveen kept Louis from telling Ray the truth with a tiny gourd bounced off his head. It wasn't until Naveen pulled Tiana into a dance on a lily pad with Louis crooning low jazz that her heart suddenly twisted in pain. A similar scene played out in her imagination, with a few twists.

Sora was attempting to dance, stumbling occasionally on those ridiculous shoes of his. She tried to imagine him as he apparently was now--taller, in black clothes instead of red and white, but it didn't compute even as imaginary Sora dipped imaginary Kairi.

Imaginary Riku stepped in, and Sora bowed out to let him have a chance to dance. He was a little less stumbling, but still prone to acting mechanically. It made her laugh in the dance, and then she pulled Sora and Riku together to make them dance. She could easily imagine them both turning red, attempting to dance but both wanting to lead. When they both reached a hand out to her she took them, feeling her heart overflowing with emotion for her two boys.

“Kairi?”

The redhead was jolted from her thoughts and turned to a concerned Candra. “Sorry, I was thinking.”

Candra offered her a handkerchief. “You're crying…”

It was then that she realized the warm trails down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away with a muttered thanks. The music faded away, and Naveen and Tiana quickly pulled away after several moments of intense romantic staring. After an awkward pause Tiana spoke up. “We...we should get some sleep.”

“Yeah, ah, good idea.” Naveen watched her move away and Kairi could tell that he was feeling something completely foreign. It made her smile. It was a rare occurrence, but the look reminded her of the pictures of her parents when they first started dating. That initial star struck look, the quietly dawning realization that you were meant to be, it was always startling. It did leave a pain throbbing in her heart as she helped Candra set up bedrolls. Her last thought before falling asleep was of her parents. She missed them so much. But how could she go to them, when the universe needed her more?

Candra was the first to wake up in the night. The usual insect sounds had disappeared, leaving behind an unnatural silence. She was immediately brought back to a clearing in Hollow Bastion, years ago when her older sister was giving her survival training.

_“There is a difference between quiet and silence. In the wild, there is never silence unless a predator is around. Listen carefully, and you will find them. Do not be prey. Be the predator. Fight. Survive. Live.”_

She rolled onto her feet and in a smooth clean movement she sliced through a shadow with no source. An agonized shriek emerged from the shadow, jolting everyone else awake. Even in her vaguely-awake state Kairi had already summoned her Keyblade to block an attack from another strange Heartless. The attack was enough of a distraction for a shadow to grab Naveen’s, dragging him through the underbrush.

“Naveen!”

Kairi spun on her feet and dashed in the direction of the screeching frog. The muck attempted to keep its grip, but it only served to slow her down. “Damn it! I need to do something--long distance--oh, give me strength!”

The Keyblade in her hand glowed, before suddenly shifting. The flowers twined down to circle her hand, the shaft lengthened and shortened, and she realized it was now a bow. It made her stop in surprise, and she recalled her lessons in gym class. “Light!” In a movement so swift she didn’t expect it she shot a piece of light toward the shadows. Unholy screeching erupted as it made contact, and she continued to do so until her energy flagged. Even then it let her move closer.

Candra swore under her breath as another Voodoo Heartless sprang up attempting to smack her with needled cloth arms. “This ain’t what I expected in this place, that’s for sure!” She looked over her shoulder and saw that at least Louis, Tiana, and Ray were safe. That left Kairi chasing after Naveen, and she raised her eyes toward the stars. “Someone please help,” she breathed out, slicing through another Heartless. A sudden shriek behind her alerted her that a Heartless was suddenly slaughtered before it could have ripped her spine out.

The area was filled with balls of light flitting to and fro, streaking through and destroying multiple Heartless in their wakes. Dismayed cries echoed and Naveen was left alone to be scooped up protectively in Kairi’s hands.

As the last of the shadows disappeared deep into the bayou the group looked to the young woman from whom the light had originated from, dressed in white with a deep red sash acting as a belt. The skirt faded from a pale green to white by the time it reached under her knees, and the baggy short-sleeved top was a similar pure white. The dark brown boots on her feet kept her from sinking into the mud (Kairi made a strong mental note of that). There was a peculiar white headwrap on her head which presumably held her hair, and faded green eyes peered in the group’s direction. The staff held in her hand glowed with a light bright enough to banish the darkness. After a moment she spoke. “Which of you has been messing with the Shadow Man?”

Everyone immediately pointed at Naveen. He at least had the decency to look sheepish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow yeah I am SOOOO sorry that it took so long to get this out! It's been a little crazy since I last updated this, what with inspiration coming and going, a new job that I've been at for the last three months, and I've also been trying to work on adjusting the skin for the fic so that it's fancier font and also more colors! I just decided that it's about time I start updating again and as I figure out how the skin works I'll adjust it as time goes on. You may wanna start over since it's been a while, but I hope you like it!


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